Master Keaton: Excavation II

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All Rise...

As good as any drama on television, Judge Sandra Dozier says that Master Keaton is an anime for the adult set that boldly goes where no insurance investigator with an Indiana Jones vibe has gone before.

The Charge

His Job is Danger; His Office is The World!

The Case

I don't mind a good, fluffy anime involving squealing teenage girls or a
kick-ass anime involving really cool mecha, but what really turns my crank is
dramatic anime involving a slouch-shouldered insurance investigator in his late
thirties. Master Keaton is as good as any drama on television
today—and the title character is polite and kind, to boot.

Taichi Hiraga-Keaton is an unassuming, quiet man who doesn't flaunt his
intelligence or cunning, but possesses enough of both to be a freelance
insurance investigator for Lloyd's of London and to have had careers as an SAS
Survival Instructor, a professor, and an archeologist. His assignments take him
all over the world and put him in all kinds of situations, especially when the
situation is sensitive or involves a great deal of risk and danger. Keaton is an
expert on a broad range of subjects, and has a calm demeanor under pressure,
both of which serve him in tense situations. His mixed heritage (half English,
half Japanese) also gives him a unique perspective and ability to move between
both worlds effectively.

Episode Summaries:

"Case 6: White Goddess" Keaton goes to a remote site for an
evaluation and discovers his client is an old friend from college. She has been
trying for years to excavate these ruins, and only finally received agreement
from the owner of the land just before he died. With the father gone, the son is
bulldozing the lot for a motorcycle track, and Keaton decides to help her find
the secrets inside the ruins before it is too late.

"Case 7: Memories of Summer Pudding" Keaton and his daughter
Yuriko journey to their summer home for a vacation. Taichi is surprised to find
his father waiting for them until Yuriko reveals she has brought them together
to discuss how they can get back together with their wives, or at least why
things ended in the first place. Irritable about this idea, the two men go off
and do their own thing, and both get caught up in memories of Taichi's
mother.

"Case 8: Negotiators Rule" A tense hostage situation
requires the presence of Keaton, an expert in hostage negotiations. He must calm
a hysterical wife and placate a concerned father while figuring out his
strategy. On top of that he suddenly discovers the hostage wasn't actually
covered at the time of his capture, due to voluntarily resigning from the
company that insured him. Keaton must decide if he should continue to help, and
how they can negotiate for his release now that funds are scarce.

"Case 9: Journey with a Lady" Instead of a quiet train ride,
Keaton shares a compartment with a demanding elderly woman. He ends up showing
her a courtesy, by paying for her ticket when she insists that her purse with
her passport and ticket is missing. Giving him what she says is a precious jewel
in exchange, the woman demands he help her when they reach their shared
destination. Polite as ever, Keaton goes along with it, and uncovers a very
interesting story, indeed.

"Case 10: Charlie" An old friend from childhood, who has
grown up to be a crack detective, crosses paths with Keaton during a murder
investigation. Charlie is tall, broad, and imposing, compared to the shorter,
seemingly weaker Keaton, but a memory that surfaces from childhood proves that
much of Charlie's bluster is bravado rather than heart. Despite his bluster, he
truly wants to see justice done, and when Keaton points out a hole in his case,
Charlie admits he made a mistake and goes after the real killers.

Overall Impressions:

I loved this series from the first episode I saw. The writing is keen, and
the stories have a touch of sentimentality that makes them endearing. Master
Keaton is a hard-boiled detective drama with a sweet side; Keaton's ability
to appreciate the beauty in his world is exactly what makes dealing with the
more unsavory elements so exciting. He is noble and high-minded, but never
pompous or arrogant. Like any good hero, he isn't perfect—he gets scared,
he makes mistakes, and he has regrets, but he keeps trying. I just like watching
him trying to make good.

I can't decide which one of the episodes on this volume was my favorite, but
if I had to put my finger on it, I would pick "Memories of Summer
Pudding." Although this was the least action-packed of the five episodes, I
loved the animation (with landscape rendered like a Monet painting) and the
story was sweet without being saccharine. This latter detail is worth
reiterating: there is no eye-rolling sentimentality here, no deliberate tug on
the heartstrings to provoke a reaction—just a love for life and living
that lightens the heart.

English dub voice acting for this release is excellent, and Ted Cole (who is
probably best known as Kuno on Ranma 1/2) as Keaton really shines in this
role. He performs Keaton with a gentle, thoughtful voice that can be hard when
he needs it to be, and (to my ear) captured the essence of the original
performance with the Japanese actor nicely. Keaton is a difficult character to
bring to screen because he has a gentle nature that sometimes shows a steely
underside, but it was done right in the English dub. Supporting cast
performances were also good; in particular, there are several accents for the
different locations that were done very well in nearly every case.

About the only negative to this release is the video quality. The animation
is simple but lovely, with excellent character design and attention to detail,
especially in regards to lighting (both bright and dark scenes) and setting a
mood with things like background design and props. However, the print itself is
slightly washed out, with some aliasing and softness to the image. While it
doesn't significantly detract from viewing pleasure, fans of crisp, glossy-look
anime may be put off by it. Sound quality is much better in comparison, with a
Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack that is clear and robust.

Extras include clean opening and closing credits, and a hidden feature
showing 13 full-color DVD covers for the Japan releases. (SPOILER: to find this
Easter egg, you need to use a regular DVD player with a remote—go to the
Extras Menu, arrow down to "DVD Credits," and press the arrow to the
left. When the cursor disappears, press Enter to see the Unlocked menu.)

If you like detective stories or you want an anime title that is more
oriented to adults, Master Keaton should be at the top of your list.
There are no teenage defenders of Japan in this series and no adolescent robot
heroes, but there is a lot of cool sleuthing, MacGyver-like narrow escapes,
travel to exotic locations, and mystery. I know I can't wait to sit back with a
bowl of popcorn for another DVD of Master Keaton.